She was dead? Ari grabbed his arm to stop him. "That's too far. I don't want him to think I'm dead. That's enough to crush anyone regardless of how you feel. I'm not here to hurt him." Her brows dipped, frowning up at Zadkiel. The truth was she knew that he had cared and was trying to do what he thought would keep her safe.
But even before they'd come into her life things had been dangerous. He'd already gone through with it without her permission, what could she really do? How could she let Alaric know that she was still alive?
Zadkiel yanked his arm from her grasp and backhanded her across the face, then gripped her by the neck and yanked her forward. "You may not be my slave but you don't put your hands on me and tell me what to do. Especially not In front of my people."
